Faculties:
- Arts, Department of Communication Arts
Country of origin: United States
Academic degrees and institutions:
- PhD in Sociology, Northwestern University 2024
- MA in Sociology, Northwestern University, 2022
- BA in Sociology, Brown University, 2014
Describe your work and how it embodies the nature of the AMTD postdoctoral program.
In my research, I seek to understand the relationships between information, media, belief, and the social world. In my current project, I examine youth news consumption in Serbia to understand the political stakes of media literacy and how people find information in a context where distrust of official institutions is more the rule than the exception. In my next project, I will examine alternative health movements across a range of national public spheres (Serbia, Jordan, Canada, and the US) in order to understand how the Internet and social media platforms have allowed traditional and folk knowledge to circulate in new ways, as well as how these movements impact medical expertise. Across my work, I focus on how understanding different cultural and social contexts changes how we approach difficult global problems.
What are some activities you hope to accomplish during your postdoctoral appointment at University of Waterloo?
At the University of Waterloo, I’m looking forward to sharing my research with the broader community while working on a book manuscript about my work on media consumption in Serbia. With this in mind, I’m planning a critical media literacy symposium, bringing practitioners and researchers together to understand media challenges as grounded in social worlds. I’m also looking forward to beginning my next project on alternative health and collaborating on various initiatives with my wonderful supervisors in Communication Arts, Dr. Jordana Cox and Dr. Shana MacDonald.
Have you been the recipient of any other major or donor-funded awards?
- NCEEER Dissertation Completion Fellowship, 2023-2024
- Karpf Peace Prize, Northwestern Sociology, 2023
- Fulbright Scholarship, 2021-2022
- Winch Prize for Best Second-Year Paper, Northwestern Sociology, 2020
- Fulbright Scholarship, 2015-2016
Why did you choose the University of Waterloo?
I was so impressed by the warmth and engagement of everyone I met at the University of Waterloo, and excited by the focus on engaged research with impact. I’m especially looking forward to joining a community of international scholars who are creating new knowledge in their fields.
What are you most looking forward to or currently enjoying about the University of Waterloo?
I can’t wait to meet all of the other scholars and learn about their projects. For me, interdisciplinary communication and collaboration is so important, and I’m excited to make some connections and build bridges between departments across the university.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I love traveling and experiencing other cultures any way I can—whether by getting on a plane or train, studying a new language, or trying a new recipe. You can also find me reading, writing, hiking, and learning about traditional folklore—especially music and dance.